Christian Nicholson
Christian Nicolson | Barebottomland
Wood, paint
Life-size figures
$1,700 each (25 approx)
Barebottomland will strike a chord with those who loved Spike
Milligan's classic book and radio story, Bad Jelly the Witch, in
which Dulboot the giant runs away with a bare bottom after
Dinglemouse nibbles through his trouser belt. Christian Nicholson
asks: "Where is bare bottom land? And who goes there? What do
people do there? Do they play tennis or volleyball or drive cars,
go swimming and have fish and chips like the rest of us?"
The series of life-sized figures in Barebottomland are on flat
laminated wood but screen printed to create the illusion of three
dimensions. And although inspired by a story, the sculptures are
ultimately the basis of a study of the naked form and an
exploration of our prudishness as a species and our reluctance to
show our bodies in public.
Auckland-based artist Christian Nicolson is a painter, sculptor
and creator of installations. For the past few years he has been
exploring his childhood, a theme that has manifested in painting,
screen-printing, photography and sculpture. Boundaries between
fantasy and reality blur and fictional characters come to life.
Nicolson was a finalist in the Wallace Art Awards in 2007, 2008
and 2009 and eleven of his works are held in the Wallace
Collection. His sculpture of a life-sized Spitfire plane called
Biggie was part of the headland SCULPTURE ON
THE GULF 2009.